parsons



(No Model.)

2 Sheets -Sheet 1. B. J. PARSONS.

AUTOMATIC TROLLEY GATCHER FOR ELEGTRIG RAILWAYS.

Patented Mar. 31,1891.

Jill JHI III! WITNESSES.

@ ATTORNEY.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. J. PARSONS. AUTOMATIC TROLLEY GATGHER FOR ELEGTRIG RAILWAYS. No. 449,569.

Patented Mar. 31,1891.

WITNESSE Ill/l/E/VTOR J.?a.r-Yan ATTORNEY.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BYRON J. PARSONS, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TO FRED. \V. FITCH,

' OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC TROLLEY-CATCHER FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 449,569, dated March 31, 1891.

Application filed August 27,1890. Serial No. 363,234. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BYRON J PARSONS, a citizen oftheUnited States, residingatOmaha, Douglas county, Nebraska, have invented cer- 5 tain new and useful Improvements consisting v of a Machine for the Purpose of Catching and Lowering the Trolley on Electric Street-Cars,

thus preventing it from striking the crosswires when the same slips off from the wire above the electric-car track, said machine to be known as the Automatic 'lrolley-Oatcher,

' of which the following is a specification.

l-leretofore the trolley which keeps the circuit of electricity closed by bringing the ma- I chinery of the motor-car in contact with the overhead wire has been unguarded,

and often slips from the overhead wire and strikes the cross-wires, often breaking them and doing other damage to the car, springsin 2o trolley-arm,- and other parts of the car,

especially where there is an up or down grade in the track over which the car passes,

or a curve in the track or intersecting wires at switches and cross-tracks.

2 5 The object of my invention is to catch the trolley when it slips from the overhead wire, draw it down to a distance of from four to twenty-four inches, as per adjustment, thus relieving the conductor or motorman from the 0 responsibility of constantly watching the trolley.

Figure l is a side elevation of a car having my trolley-catcher applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail View, partly in section, of the device.

Fig. 3 is a detail of the winding cylinder. Fig. 4 is a detail of the trip device. Fig. 5 is a detail of the drum-actuating spring.

A is the outside casing or casting, which holds the entire works of the machine, andit consists of two one-half inch convex castings so made and put together as to contain, conceal, and protect the machinery within.

B is the Windlass-cylinder, on which the trolley-rope winds when set in motion, and is from three to four inches in diameter.

C is the large cylindrical steel spring situated within the cylinder B, fastened at one end to the cylinder B and at the other end to the pinion D by screws and bolts, said spring being from one to two inches wide (to correspond with width of cylinder B) and from three-sixteenths to th ree-eighths inch in thickness.

D is a rod or bolt, to which spring 0 is fastened, extending through cylinder B and casing A, having its rest at each extremity in casting orcasing A. (Indicated atA and L.)

E is a dog used for the purpose of holding ratchet M while dog F is liberated while conductor is in the act of setting the machine.

F is a dog for the purpose of holding ratchet M {which is fast to cylinder B at lateral extremity) when the machine is set and spring 0 is wound up and dog E is loose.

G is a pulley attached to dog F by means of small pinion, under which trolley-rope I passes.

H is a tube orextension of casting A, cit-her continuous or screwed into casting A at top end of casting A.

I is the trolley-rope, fastened at the lower end to cylinder B and at the other by means of snap to the trolley-rope, practically a continuation of the trolley-rope.

J is a cast-iron ball at upper extremity of tube H, through which the trolley-rope also passes.

K is a small bolt or screw holding dog E in place to casting A.

L is a portion of casting A, so made and placed that it can be taken from casting A, allowing an examination of the works within, as shown in Fig. 1.

M is a ratchet fastened to one side of cylinder B by small bolts and controlled by dogs E and F.

N is a small quarter-inch steel wire spring which holds pinion D to the point to which it is placed. When the tension'of spring 0 is sought to be changed, it catches in the ratch- 9o ets on the end of pinion D,and spring 0, being fastened to pinion D, may have its strength or tension changed by the application of a wrench to the opposite end of pinion D, which is fitted for the application of a wrench. 5

O is a small pinion to hold dog F in place.

P is a small bolt or screw which holds pulley G to dog F.

Q is a small stout spring which holds dog E from ratchet M. R is also a small stout IOQ steel spring which holds dog F against or in ratchet M.

Operation: When the machine is set or in process of operation, the trolley on the oven head wire. \Yhen the trolley slips from the overhead wire, the trolley-arm spring always throws the trolley-pulley above the wire.

\Vhen it has passed above the wire, as in Fig.

l, dotted lines, sullicient distance (say from one inch to a foot, as regulated) to take up the slack in the trolley-rope, the upward press [0 ure of the trolley (caused by trolley-arm spring) jerks or pulls upthe rope I, which at once throws deg F out of or from ratchet M, thus liberating spring 0, (which is always wound up when machine is set.) Spring G being liberated at oncebegins to uncoil,thereby turning cylinder B, (to which trolley-line rope I is fastened,) winding up the rope, shortening it, and thus bringing the trolley beneath the overhead electric wire and prevent- 2o ing it coming in contact with anything above the overhead wire or either side of it, its position being shown by the lower dotted line in Fig. 1. The machine willcontinue tohold the trolley in this condition until the con- 2 5 ductor or motorman unsnaps the trolley-line from the rope Iand places trolley on the overhead wire.

To set the machine, conductor unsnaps trolley-rope from rope I and places trolley upon 0 the overhead wire. 'When trolley-rope is n11- snapped, dog F falls upon ratchet M again. Conductor places his foot upon the outside part of dog E, bringing inside of dog E against ratchet-wheel M. He then pulls up on rope I, (by means of handle just beneath the snap,)

bringing it to the required distance, thus unwinding the rope and winding up the spring 0 to proper point. As soon as he lets go of rope I dog 1* falls upon ratchet M, thus holding ratchet M in place, and he then removes his foot from dog E and the machine is then set and in readiness for another operation.

A spring-bell may be used in connection with this machine to call attention of conductor to the fact that trolley is off of overhead wire, and is especially useful when car is going downgrade, as the electric current is always thrown oil? at such time and the trolley is then the most apt to slip from the wire above.

The trolley-catcher is fastened by means of screws or bolts to the platform-floor, joining the sheet-iron guard at each end of the car.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a trolley catcher, the combination, with the trolley an d its flexible connect-ion, of the spring-actuated winding cylinder or drum and the holding or releasing mechanism thereto, substantially as specified. 6o

2. The trolley-catcher comprising the box or casing, the winding drum or cylinder journaled therein, an actuating'spring in said drum or cylinder, a ratchet on the end of the drunrshaft and a pawl in engagement therewith, a trip for said pawl, and a flexible connection with the trolley-rope, substantially as specified.

3. The trolley-catcher having the springactuated drum or cylinder, a ratchet connected therewith, a pawl normally held away from said ratchet, a second pawl normally in engagement therewith, and a trip actuated by the trolley-rope for releasing the latter pawl, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with the box or casing, the spring-actuated drum or cylinder journaled therein, its ratchet, and the pawls engaging and adapted to engage said ratchet and its shaft, of the trip carried by the 011- 8c gaging-pawl and adapted to release the same under the action of the trolley-rope and its extension, substantially as specified.

5. In a trolley-catcher, the combination of a spring-actuated winding cylinder or drum for the trolley-rope slack and a device for setting said spring and drum in operation.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BYRON J. PARSONS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES R. CUSHM'AN, Josnrn W. BISHOP. 

